Kalpana (1948 film): Difference between revisions

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'''''Kalpana''''' ({{translation|Imagination}}) is a 1948 Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[dance film]] written and directed by dancer [[Uday Shankar]]. It is his only film. The story revolves around a young dancer's dream of setting up a dance academy, a reflection of Shankar's own academy, which he founded at [[Almora]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121018080904/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/253986?view=synopsis Synopsis], [[British Film Institute]].</ref> It starred Uday Shankar and his wife Amala Shankar as leads and 16-year-old actress [[Padmini (actress)|Padmini]], making her screen debut.<ref>{{cite news |title=  Beauty, charm, charisma |url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/09/29/stories/2006092900720100.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228080232/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/09/29/stories/2006092900720100.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 February 2008 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=29 September 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What happened to the classical heritage in our films?|author= Subhash K Jha|author-link= Subhash K Jha|url=http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=13574584 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041012124215/http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=13574584 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 October 2004 |date=24 September 2004 |publisher=[[Sify.com]] Movies}}</ref> It also marks [[Usha Kiran]]'s debut film too.
[[File:Kalpana (1948) by Uday Shankar.webm | thumb|''Kalpana'' (1948) by Uday Shankar]]
'''''Kalpana''''' ({{translation|Imagination}}) is a 1948 Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[dance film]] written and directed by dancer [[Uday Shankar]]. It is his only film. The story revolves around a young dancer's dream of setting up a dance academy, a reflection of Shankar's own academy, which he founded at [[Almora]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121018080904/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/253986?view=synopsis Synopsis], [[British Film Institute]].</ref> It starred Uday Shankar and his wife Amala Shankar as leads.


''Kalpana'' was the first film to present an Indian classical dancer in the leading role, and was entirely shot as a dance ballet and a fantasy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Films featuring dance|url= http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=10158|work=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]] |date=8 April 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=East/west musicals: Play That Back |url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?231671 |date=26 June 2006|work=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]] }}</ref>
''Kalpana'' was the first film to present an Indian classical dancer in the leading role, and was entirely shot as a dance ballet and a fantasy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Films featuring dance|url= http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=10158|work=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]] |date=8 April 2005}}{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=East/west musicals: Play That Back |url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?231671 |date=26 June 2006|work=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]] }}</ref>


It was shown at the [[International Film Festival of India]] ([[IFFI]]-Goa) (2008), as a part of the section "Treasures from NFAI" ([[National Film Archive of India]]), with other "rare gems" from the archives.<ref>{{cite web |title=NFAI brings its treasures to IFFI-Goa  |url=http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=45038 |date=25 November 2008 |publisher=[[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Ministry of Information and Broadcasting]] PIB }}</ref>
It was shown at the [[International Film Festival of India]] ([[IFFI]]-Goa) (2008), as a part of the section "Treasures from NFAI" ([[National Film Archive of India]]), with other "rare gems" from the archives.<ref>{{cite web |title=NFAI brings its treasures to IFFI-Goa  |url=http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=45038 |date=25 November 2008 |publisher=[[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Ministry of Information and Broadcasting]] PIB }}</ref>
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* Chiranjilal Shah as Gope  
* Chiranjilal Shah as Gope  
* [[Devi Lal Samar|Devilal Samar]] as Sundar
* [[Devi Lal Samar|Devilal Samar]] as Sundar
{{col-break|width=50%}}
* K. Mukerjee as Grandfather {{col-break|width=50%}}
* K. Mukerjee as Grandfather
* Dulal Sen as Mama
* Dulal Sen as Mama
* G. V. Karandikar as Producer
* G. V. Karandikar as Producer
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* Begam Zamarudh as Young Uma
* Begam Zamarudh as Young Uma
* Yousuf Ali as Young Noor
* Yousuf Ali as Young Noor
* [[Usha Kiran]] as Usha
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}


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|"Kya Kahoon"
|"Kya Kahoon"
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|Devilal Samar
|Devilal Samar
|02:15
|02:15
|-
|-
|"Bhil Folk Song"
|"Bhil Folk Song"
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|Devilal Samar, [[Sumitranandan Pant]]
|Devilal Samar, [[Sumitranandan Pant]]
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|-
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==Production==
== Notable dancers ==
 
* [[Uday Shankar]]
* [[Amala Shankar]]
* Lakshmi Kanta
* [[Padmini (actress)|Padmini]]
* [[Lalitha (actress)|Lalitha]]
* Ragini
* Amobi Singh
* Yoga
 
==Comments==
[[File:Kalpana, 1948 film showing Uday Shankar and Amala Shankar.gif|thumbnail|right|A still featuring Uday and Amala Shankar]]
[[File:Kalpana, 1948 film showing Uday Shankar and Amala Shankar.gif|thumbnail|right|A still featuring Uday and Amala Shankar]]
Well known Tamil actress and dancer, Lakshmikantham, credited in the film as "Lakshmi Kanta" plays Kamini. 16-year-old actress [[Padmini (actress)|Padmini]] and along with her sister [[Lalitha (actress)|Lalitha]], makes their debut into Hindi films.<ref>{{cite news |title=  Beauty, charm, charisma |url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/09/29/stories/2006092900720100.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228080232/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/09/29/stories/2006092900720100.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 February 2008 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=29 September 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What happened to the classical heritage in our films?|author= Subhash K Jha|author-link= Subhash K Jha|url=http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=13574584 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041012124215/http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=13574584 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 October 2004 |date=24 September 2004 |publisher=[[Sify.com]] Movies}}</ref> Tamil dancer and actress Yoga of the Yoga-Mangalam sisters makes an appearance as a dancer credited as "Yogam". Small role actress P. K. Saraswathi credited as "Saraswathi" also appears as a dancer. Gopal Rao, who played a small role in [[Thyaga Bhoomi]] (1939 film), also plays a small role. Finally, [[Usha Kiran]] made her debut into films in this movie, credited as "Usha".
Well known Tamil actress and dancer, Lakshmikantham, credited in the film as "Lakshmi Kanta" plays Kamini. 16-year-old actress [[Padmini (actress)|Padmini]] and along with her sister [[Lalitha (actress)|Lalitha]].<ref>{{cite news |title=  Beauty, charm, charisma |url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/09/29/stories/2006092900720100.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228080232/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/09/29/stories/2006092900720100.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 February 2008 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=29 September 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=What happened to the classical heritage in our films?|author= Subhash K Jha|author-link= Subhash K Jha|url=http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=13574584 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041012124215/http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=13574584 |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 October 2004 |date=24 September 2004 |website=[[Sify]]}}</ref> Tamil dancer and actress Yoga of the Yoga-Mangalam sisters makes an appearance as a dancer credited as "Yogam". Small role actress P. K. Saraswathi credited as "Saraswathi" also appears as a dancer. Gopal Rao, who played a small role in [[Thyaga Bhoomi]] (1939 film), also plays a small role. Finally, [[Usha Kiran]] made her debut into films in this movie, credited as "Usha".
 
[[Satyajit Ray]] was said to have watched this film 16 times.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heredia |first=Shai |title=Kalpana: Dreaming the Impossible Dream |url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/7941-kalpana-dreaming-the-impossible-dream |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=The Criterion Collection |language=en}}</ref>


==Restoration==
==Restoration==
In 2009, the film process of [[Digital restoration services|digital restoration]] was taken up by [[NFAI]] in collaboration with France-based Thomson Foundation.<ref>{{cite news |title=French embassy donates 230 films to NFAI|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-03/pune/28157598_1_nfai-philippe-martinet-french-embassy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811051540/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-03/pune/28157598_1_nfai-philippe-martinet-french-embassy |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 August 2011 |work=[[The Times of India]]|date=3 May 2009}}</ref> In 2010, it was being restored by the [[World Cinema Foundation]] (director [[Martin Scorsese]] is a founding member).<ref>{{cite web |title=Uday Shankar dance ballet, Kalpana to be on celluloid |url=http://movies.indiatimes.com/News-Gossip/News/Uday-Shankar-dance-ballet-Kalpana-to-be-on-celluloid/articleshow/5531590.cms |publisher=[[Indiatimes]] Movies |date=3 Feb 2010 |access-date=20 March 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714185056/http://movies.indiatimes.com/News-Gossip/News/Uday-Shankar-dance-ballet-Kalpana-to-be-on-celluloid/articleshow/5531590.cms |archive-date=14 July 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Martin Scorsese to reviving Kalpana|author= Subhash K Jha|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-04/news-interviews/28145270_1_martin-scorsese-world-cinema-foundation-classics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811051522/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-04/news-interviews/28145270_1_martin-scorsese-world-cinema-foundation-classics |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 August 2011 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=4 Feb 2010}}</ref>
In 2009, the film process of [[Digital restoration services|digital restoration]] was taken up by [[NFAI]] in collaboration with France-based Thomson Foundation.<ref>{{cite news |title=French embassy donates 230 films to NFAI|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-03/pune/28157598_1_nfai-philippe-martinet-french-embassy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811051540/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-03/pune/28157598_1_nfai-philippe-martinet-french-embassy |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 August 2011 |work=[[The Times of India]]|date=3 May 2009}}</ref> In 2010, it was being restored by the [[World Cinema Foundation]] (director [[Martin Scorsese]] is a founding member).<ref>{{cite web |title=Uday Shankar dance ballet, Kalpana to be on celluloid |url=http://movies.indiatimes.com/News-Gossip/News/Uday-Shankar-dance-ballet-Kalpana-to-be-on-celluloid/articleshow/5531590.cms |publisher=[[Indiatimes]] Movies |date=3 Feb 2010 |access-date=20 March 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714185056/http://movies.indiatimes.com/News-Gossip/News/Uday-Shankar-dance-ballet-Kalpana-to-be-on-celluloid/articleshow/5531590.cms |archive-date=14 July 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Martin Scorsese to reviving Kalpana|author= Subhash K Jha|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-04/news-interviews/28145270_1_martin-scorsese-world-cinema-foundation-classics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811051522/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-04/news-interviews/28145270_1_martin-scorsese-world-cinema-foundation-classics |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 August 2011 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=4 Feb 2010}}</ref> The restored film was released in home video format by the [[The Criterion Collection|Criterion Collection]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project No. 4 |url=https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/6183-martin-scorseses-world-cinema-project-no-4 |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=The Criterion Collection |language=en}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:1948 films]]
[[Category:1948 films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:1948 Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:1940s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:1948 Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Indian dance films]]
[[Category:Indian dance films]]
[[Category:1940s fantasy films]]
[[Category:Indian fantasy films]]
[[Category:Indian fantasy films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Films shot in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Gemini Studios films]]
[[Category:Gemini Studios films]]
[[Category:Hindi-language fantasy films]]
[[Category:1948 fantasy films]]

Latest revision as of 04:41, 4 March 2026

Kalpana
Poster
Directed byUday Shankar
Screenplay byAmritlal Nagar
Story byUday Shankar
StarringUday Shankar
Amala Shankar
Lakshmi Kanta
Music byVishnudas Shirali
CinematographyK. Ramnoth
Edited byN. K. Gopal
Production
company
Distributed byUday Shankar Production
Release date
  • 1 January 1948 (1948-01-01)
Running time
160 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Kalpana (1948) by Uday Shankar

Kalpana (transl. Imagination) is a 1948 Indian Hindi-language dance film written and directed by dancer Uday Shankar. It is his only film. The story revolves around a young dancer's dream of setting up a dance academy, a reflection of Shankar's own academy, which he founded at Almora.[1] It starred Uday Shankar and his wife Amala Shankar as leads.

Kalpana was the first film to present an Indian classical dancer in the leading role, and was entirely shot as a dance ballet and a fantasy.[2][3]

It was shown at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI-Goa) (2008), as a part of the section "Treasures from NFAI" (National Film Archive of India), with other "rare gems" from the archives.[4]

Cast[edit | edit source]

Songs[edit | edit source]

The music was composed by Vishnudas Shirali, and the lyrics were penned by Sumitranandan Pant. The Bhil folk songs were written by Devilal Samar.[5]

Song Title Singer(s) Lyricist Length
"Bharat Jai Jan Bharat" Everyone Devilal Samar 03:48
"Behti Ja Behti Ja Sarite" Devilal Samar 03:21
"Kya Kahoon" Devilal Samar 02:15
"Bhil Folk Song" Devilal Samar, Sumitranandan Pant
"Deep Jalao" Devilal Samar 03:19
"Hindustan Ka Bal Hai Hal" Devilal Samar 02:55
"Sadiyo Ki Behoshi" Devilal Samar 02:57

Notable dancers[edit | edit source]

Comments[edit | edit source]

A still featuring Uday and Amala Shankar

Well known Tamil actress and dancer, Lakshmikantham, credited in the film as "Lakshmi Kanta" plays Kamini. 16-year-old actress Padmini and along with her sister Lalitha.[6][7] Tamil dancer and actress Yoga of the Yoga-Mangalam sisters makes an appearance as a dancer credited as "Yogam". Small role actress P. K. Saraswathi credited as "Saraswathi" also appears as a dancer. Gopal Rao, who played a small role in Thyaga Bhoomi (1939 film), also plays a small role. Finally, Usha Kiran made her debut into films in this movie, credited as "Usha".

Satyajit Ray was said to have watched this film 16 times.[8]

Restoration[edit | edit source]

In 2009, the film process of digital restoration was taken up by NFAI in collaboration with France-based Thomson Foundation.[9] In 2010, it was being restored by the World Cinema Foundation (director Martin Scorsese is a founding member).[10][11] The restored film was released in home video format by the Criterion Collection.[12]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Synopsis, British Film Institute.
  2. ↑ "Films featuring dance". Screen. 8 April 2005.[dead link]
  3. ↑ "East/west musicals: Play That Back". Outlook. 26 June 2006.
  4. ↑ "NFAI brings its treasures to IFFI-Goa". Ministry of Information and Broadcasting PIB. 25 November 2008.
  5. ↑ "Kalpana : Lyrics and video of Songs from the Movie Kalpana (1948 film)". HindiGeetMala. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  6. ↑ "Beauty, charm, charisma". The Hindu. 29 September 2006. Archived from the original on 28 February 2008.
  7. ↑ Subhash K Jha (24 September 2004). "What happened to the classical heritage in our films?". Sify. Archived from the original on 12 October 2004.
  8. ↑ Heredia, Shai. "Kalpana: Dreaming the Impossible Dream". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  9. ↑ "French embassy donates 230 films to NFAI". The Times of India. 3 May 2009. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011.
  10. ↑ "Uday Shankar dance ballet, Kalpana to be on celluloid". Indiatimes Movies. 3 February 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ↑ Subhash K Jha (4 February 2010). "Martin Scorsese to reviving Kalpana". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011.
  12. ↑ "Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project No. 4". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved 20 March 2023.

External links[edit | edit source]

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